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Child Item

I'm an Alcoholic

Guill

Are you?

The otherday I said in casual conversation that I was an alcoholic, i can't remeber how we got there but all my friends looked at me as if I had just pulled a needle out of my arm. It was not an announcement just a sentance that came out.

To clarify:

I don't consider it a weekend if I don't have a drink.
I binge drink weekly.
I will drink anything if stuck. (although I do enjoy beers of the world).
I will have a bottle or two of an evening during the week.
I'm one of those people who doesn't feel comfortable at an event without a bottle in my hand, and a few aqlready in the system.
When the sun comes out I immediatly think BBQ! (So we can a have a few beers-and craic).

Out of the 6 people that were there that day I know 4 of them are the exact same as me, not worse for drink but certainly not better. No-one even made an attempt to agree with me or even say "Me too".

My drinking does not affect my family we have a very loving caring and fun home, my wife bearly drinks btw.
It does not affect my work, I never miss a minute.
It does not affect my social life, I have a very large circle of close friends.

One day It just dawned on me that by definition I am an alcoholic. Not completely dependant but an alcoholic all the same.

I DO NOT FEEL ANY SHAME IN THIS.

No one should.
To me it should be no more difficult to say this than to say you are addicted to ciggarettes, coffee, chocolate etc. But for some reason people begin to look at you differently for such an admition. When I smoked and told people I was hooked there could be open discussion between friends and family about it.

I've added a poll, If you look deep down and really think to yourself, are you in the same boat as me? If anything I hope that this thread will make people aware of something they may not have considered before. thanks.

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Deus Ex Machina

grindle wrote: »

Do you really, though?
If you do, you should seek help...
Even if it hurts, your friends care.

Drinking to the point of destruction brings no joy.
Every drink, no matter how tasty, is a danger.
Ulcers, heart-disease, kidney and liver problems...
Start a new life for yourself.

Drink less.
Inebriation needn't be your only outlet.
Enlighten yourself, choose sobriety!

There IS a conspiracy against me.

kylith

I was pretty bad for the drink in college and my early 20s. Basically the usual college thing, and in my 20s I was living with a guy who would have a glass of wine, then not drink for days, so I found myself polishing off the bottle 'so it [wouldn't] go to waste'.

These days I drink maybe once every 2 months. I still like to get merry when I'm in a social situation, and it happens very quickly now I have no tolerance.

grindle

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

There IS a conspiracy against me.

You've got the wrong end of the stick.
Emancipate yourself.
Stop being silly.

3ndahalfof6

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

There IS a conspiracy against me.

well well now do i suspect someone getting the full use of AH.

Opticom

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

Ended up going out drinking like I predicted. Woke up with two broken fingers and blood all over my shirt. No memory of what happened and I am uninjured apart from my hands. I have been under a cloud of anxiety (bordering on terror) ever since, and deeper depression. I haven't left my bed since and I feel like there's a conspiracy of some sort against me.

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

There IS a conspiracy against me.

Don't put up with this on your own. I would talk to someone, it always helps.

The Samaritans are very good, very confidential, non-judgemental 24/7 listeners, you can contact them on 1850 60 90 90. They deal with everything you can think of, from bereavement, to abuse, to addiction, to loneliness, to stress. They can also give you other contact numbers for further expert help.

You don't have to struggle with this on your own, there are lots of trained and experienced people out there who can help you.

[Deleted User]

mishkalucy wrote: »

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/healthpromotion/alcohol/

In fairness, according to the above, more that 6 standard drinks(3 pints)in one sitting is considered "binge drinking".
I know a lot of people who for them that would be a "starter".
I'm not condoning alcohol abuse etc but does anyone else here think that 3 pints is a binge session?

Yes. 3 pints is a LOT of alcohol. Beer in most countries is served in half pint sizes or even smaller (in Spain it's often even less than a quarter of a pint) - a pint is a hell of a lot of beer to have in one go. I'm convinced that this is one of the reasons Irish and British people drink so much without really realising it.

When I lived in Spain, I could have 5 or 6 beers with tapas, but it was only the equivalent of about a pint and a half, over about 4 hours and with plenty of food. So I was drinking all night, but still relatively sober with no hangover the next day. Now when I go to the pub in London, everyone gets pints, downs them in 10 minutes and drums their fingers as a hint for you to finish so they can get another round in. It's a totally different drinking culture, and not in a good way, IMO. I found the Spanish way much more enjoyable. Not that the Spanish don't also go out and get hammered, but I found it much easier there to drink socially.

blingrhino

Tony Adams said " you know your an alcoholic when your knocking the pub door at 10.30 am monday morning when you have been out on the lash all day Sunday "

Invader_Zimmy

on small box of wine every other day, sobriety sucks.

Sunnyisland

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

I've been an alcoholic for years. I had a bottle of whiskey and 6 cans of Druids over the course of last night. Eventually I was running around screaming and crying. I was starting arguments with people and stealing from them. I eventually woke up in a friend's house. I had stolen whiskey from their cabinet and had pissed all over the bathroom, as well as throwing up all over their couch. I have lost so many friendships this way.

I felt awful all day, throwing up blood and bile and dying with a headache. As always, I had decided that I am going to stop drinking, but now having had some food and a lot of water I am feeling better, and my decision to stop drinking is gone. I will go out tonight and probably cause more damage to myself and others, as well as their property.

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

Ended up going out drinking like I predicted. Woke up with two broken fingers and blood all over my shirt. No memory of what happened and I am uninjured apart from my hands. I have been under a cloud of anxiety (bordering on terror) ever since, and deeper depression. I haven't left my bed since and I feel like there's a conspiracy of some sort against me.

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

There IS a conspiracy against me.

You need to go and get professional help, Samaritans/AA/ and or other support groups that are out there.

Deus Ex Machina

Opticom wrote: »

I would talk to someone, it always helps.

realies wrote: »

You need to go and get professional help, Samaritans/AA/ and or other support groups that are out there.

es-cee

i drink alot, i don't "crave" it, and it doesn't bother me when i haven't had a drink, but i would still class myself as an alco. anyone in a similar position, are kidding themselves, if they think otherwise tbh.

insanity50

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

NO

are you trolling?
genuine question.
why ask for help and then shoot down the people who post you some?

im invisible

After a night out where i cant remember getting home, i could go days without talking to anyone, with a paranoid depression hanging over me wondering what the fcuk i did, and how many people i insulted/ whatever.
Fukit OP, just ring or txt one of the lads you were out with, askin what the story is, and it'll put your mind at ease, or at least you'll know for sure if there is a conspiricy against you

[Deleted User]

es-cee wrote: »

i drink alot, i don't "crave" it, and it doesn't bother me when i haven't had a drink, but i would still class myself as an alco. anyone in a similar position, are kidding themselves, if they think otherwise tbh.

Yup.
Same for me, and my OH. We can easily go weeks without drinking, we had to when we were seriously broke, but we don't WANT to. We drink when we want it, don't crave it, don't go out of our way to scrimp and save so we can afford it, etc. but yeah I class us both as alcos. Functioning alcos who are hurting no one other than ourselves, so why not? We don't have kids, our parents drink as much as we do, we're quiet and friendly drunks, no aggro, we don't end up in A&E and we don't have any immediate health issues due to our drinking, so really we're not harming anyone else or affecting other people's lives negatively. We're just supporting the economy with our booze related taxes and having fun while we do it. Cheers!

(To many people who do not consider themselves alcoholics, we are mild drinkers! I just happen to know that we're actually alcoholics, same way as I happen to know I'm a smoker.)

flowerchild

Guill wrote: »

Are you?

The otherday I said in casual conversation that I was an alcoholic, i can't remeber how we got there but all my friends looked at me as if I had just pulled a needle out of my arm. It was not an announcement just a sentance that came out.

To clarify:

I don't consider it a weekend if I don't have a drink.
I binge drink weekly.
I will drink anything if stuck. (although I do enjoy beers of the world).
I will have a bottle or two of an evening during the week.
I'm one of those people who doesn't feel comfortable at an event without a bottle in my hand, and a few aqlready in the system.
When the sun comes out I immediatly think BBQ! (So we can a have a few beers-and craic).

Out of the 6 people that were there that day I know 4 of them are the exact same as me, not worse for drink but certainly not better. No-one even made an attempt to agree with me or even say "Me too".

My drinking does not affect my family we have a very loving caring and fun home, my wife bearly drinks btw.
It does not affect my work, I never miss a minute.
It does not affect my social life, I have a very large circle of close friends.

One day It just dawned on me that by definition I am an alcoholic. Not completely dependant but an alcoholic all the same.

I DO NOT FEEL ANY SHAME IN THIS.

No one should.
To me it should be no more difficult to say this than to say you are addicted to ciggarettes, coffee, chocolate etc. But for some reason people begin to look at you differently for such an admition. When I smoked and told people I was hooked there could be open discussion between friends and family about it.

I've added a poll, If you look deep down and really think to yourself, are you in the same boat as me? If anything I hope that this thread will make people aware of something they may not have considered before. thanks.

It sounds like you could be an alcoholic. Do you want to change?

Am I in exactly the same boat as you? No. But I have unhealthy ways of dealing with my feelings.

flowerchild

im invisible wrote: »

After a night out where i cant remember getting home, i could go days without talking to anyone, with a paranoid depression hanging over me wondering what the fcuk i did, and how many people i insulted/ whatever.

That would be very hard.

petes

I posted on another thread that I was after having a particularly heavy few months at it after a breakup. I always drank, while in the relationship I lied about it. Not easy to hide though. Before the relationship I was worse. Last Wednesday I decided enough was enough and this was with a few drinks in me.

It is a vicious circle when you are drinking constantly and is very hard to stop as drink is constantly in your system and your body does crave it. I woke up Saturday morning and a pint of Guinness was in my head before I was barely awake!

I was on a descending slope, slightly affected work but that was it. Was drinking 8 pints every evening during the week and then out for the weekend and then I had a week off which meant I kept going until the Wednesday.

I'm not saying I will never drink again but until I learn, if I can, to drink sociably, responsibly and actually enjoy having the few drinks without it turning in to a session, I'll be off it for a while.

I downloaded an app to my phone that tells me I am six days without a drink and also installed a diary which I update. These two have helped a wee bit as I just go over what exactly was going through my head when the alcohol was leaving my system (it wasn't pleasant). Also alcohol is a depressant so I was using it as a crutch and the only thing that made me feel better was more drink until the next day when I felt worse!

All I'll say is good luck to those out there that have given up and also I hope the people that think they don't have a problem with it realise it before it's too late.

Sunnyisland

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

NO

insanity50 wrote: »

are you trolling?
genuine question.
why ask for help and then shoot down the people who post you some?

If he/she is trolling let them on

as in this battle with alcohol yourself and Only yourself can Change Things. I know it sucks, but that is just how it is !

sunflower27

Princess Peach wrote: »

No, I'm not.

I used to be, was just like you, probably worse. And eventually it did start to affect my life and my health, and I did start to feel shame. I had a reputation in my town as "the girl who is always drunk." I'd meet people I never met before and they had already heard of me, said "Oh you're always going out!" People didn't take me serious, thought my life revolved around me drinking. I didn't want to be known as that anymore. Plus it really wasn't doing me any good.

So I changed it, learned my limits. I'd drink maybe once or twice a week usually now, but I'm rarely a messy drunk. Haven't blacked out in maybe a year, which used to be a twice weekly event for me, and I thought it was normal!

I try not to judge anyone else, I just know it was a bad time for me and I thought it was ok for far too long.

I really identified with this and fair play to you.

I was always the party girl, always up for drinks after work, always getting a bottle of wine without fail off people at Christmas etc etc.

I am heading towards 6 months without a drink now and my life is finitely better. I even had an interview yesterday to go back to college and do a degree by night.

Would I have done that if I was still drinking? - doubtful. I'd still be bemoaning the fact that my publishing skills are redundant now and what is my next career going to be?

Stopping drinking has given me some long overdue clarity. I still go out loads, I just don't drink alcohol, and I remember the night, have fun and no hangover the next day.

It's working for me.

Princess Peach

sunflower27 wrote: »

I really identified with this and fair play to you.

I was always the party girl, always up for drinks after work, always getting a bottle of wine without fail off people at Christmas etc etc.

I am heading towards 6 months without a drink now and my life is finitely better. I even had an interview yesterday to go back to college and do a degree by night.

Would I have done that if I was still drinking? - doubtful. I'd still be bemoaning the fact that my publishing skills are redundant now and what is my next career going to be?

Stopping drinking has given me some long overdue clarity. I still go out loads, I just don't drink alcohol, and I remember the night, have fun and no hangover the next day.

It's working for me.

I'm not that strong now! I still drink, gives me a beer belly and an empty purse but don't have the willpower to give up completely.

I enjoy drinking and as long as I can control myself now I'll carry on with it

[Deleted User]

My sister is an alcoholic, as are at least two of my cousins. My Grandfather was an alcoholic, and probably two of my grandmothers (two generations). It has made me very suspicious of alcohol, and that's why I sometimes go months without alcohol, as a way of making sure that I am not also living with their condition.

I think it's far more common in Ireland than is recognized. My only suggestion is that if this nasty little gene is in your family (1) show mercy to your relatives and (2) go a few weeks or months without alcohol to ensure that you don't have it, unbeknownst to yourself. Do this every couple of years.

Treatment (or lack of it) is a whole other story. My cousins and my sibling have tried various treatments for years. The best we hope for is day-by-day sobriety.

gctest50

EurosportHD wrote: »

Acceptance is key.

7 years ? how do people find these threads

Sephiroth_dude

Mod

Zombie thread, locked.